Harry Potter FAQ
Quick Links:
Has J K Rowling ever been to Canada?
How do I write to J K Rowling?
Are the American editions different than the Canadian and British editions?
How do I obtain authorization to use Harry Potter images?
What is Raincoast’s role with Harry Potter in Canada?
Raincoast Books was the joint publisher of Harry Potter series in Canada in conjunction with Bloomsbury Plc of London from 1999 until 2010.
Will there be other editions of the seven books in the Harry Potter series made available in Canada?
There are new editions available from Bloomsbury via Penguin Books in Canada. The original editions jointly published Raincoast/Bloomsbury are now out of print.
Please go to the Penguin Canada website for further details.
Who publishes the French language editions in Canada?
Gaillimard Jeunesse publishes the French language editions of Harry Potter.
What about foreign editions/translations?
Please contact J K Rowling’s literary agent, Christopher Little at: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
About J K Rowling
How do you pronounce “Rowling”?
It rhymes with “bowling”.
What does J K stand for?
Joanne Kathleen
Has J K Rowling ever been to Canada?
Yes, twice.
She gave readings in Toronto and Vancouver in October 2000. Her reading in Toronto garnered an entry in the Guinness Book of Records for the World’s Largest Ever Reading.
In October 2007, she gave a free public reading in front of over 900 lucky funs at the Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto. Tickets were made available via contests run by Raincoast, The International Festival of Authors and provincial library associations and participating bookstores in all ten provinces and three territories.
How do I write to J K Rowling?
J K Rowling does not have a public e-mail address, but answers most rumours and fan queries via her website: www.jkrowling.com.
Traditional mail can be addressed to her care of her publisher Bloomsbury:
Bloomsbury Plc
36 Soho Square
London W1D 3QY
United Kingdom
When is Harry’s birthday?
July 31st (the same day as J K Rowling’s).
Facts and Figures
When was the first book published?
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was first published in 1997.
How many books are there in the series?
There are seven books in the series, one for each year that Harry is in school at Hogwarts. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the final book.
What are the all books in the series called?
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (June 30, 1997)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (July 1998)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (July 1999)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (July 8, 2000)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (June 21, 2003)
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (July 16, 2005)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (July 21, 2007)
What editions are available in Canada?
Please see Penguin Books Canada for details.
Are there any other books by J K Rowling available?
Yes. J K Rowling wrote two short books in aid of Comic Relief: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander and Quidditch through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp. Both books are featured in the Harry Potter novels. To maintain their authenticity, J K Rowling wrote these books under the pseudonyms of the authors as they appear in the Harry Potter novels.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (March 12, 2001)
Quidditch through the Ages (March 12, 2001)
In 2008 JK Rowling published The Tales of Beedle the Bard with the Children's High Level Group, a charity co-founded by J K Rowling and Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, MEP. The CHLG campaigns to protect and promote children's rights and make life better for vulnerable young people. See www.chlg.org for more information.
For information on The Tales of Beedle the Bard in Canada please contact Penguin Books Canada.
What are the total worldwide sales of Harry Potter?
The Harry Potter series has sold over 350 million copies worldwide in 64 languages.
Have the books been translated into other languages?
Yes, so far the books have been translated into 63 languages, including Latin, Welsh, Ancient Greek and Irish.
How many countries is Harry Potter published in?
200 countries.
What type of paper are the books printed on?
From 2008–2010, the Canadian editions were printed on 100% ancient-forest free, 100% post-consumer recycled paper.
The Difference between Editions
Does the Canadian edition contain the same text and cover artwork as the British edition?
Yes. The Canadian editions of all the Harry Potter books have the original British text intact and feature the original cover artwork.
What is the difference between the adult editions and the children’s editions?
There is no difference between the content of the books, only the covers are different. The adult covers appeal to older readers. Children’s and Adult editions are available in hardcover and paperback.
Are the American editions different than the Canadian and British editions?
Yes, a little. The first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, has a different title in the U.S., Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The American editions also feature different cover artwork and text design. The Canadian editions have the same title and text as the original British editions.
I live in the U.S. Why can’t you sell me a Canadian edition?
Originally Raincoast Books and now Penguin Books Canada are unable to sell Harry Potter to the U.S. due to territorial copyright. Scholastic Publishing holds the U.S. rights to the Harry Potter series.
How do I tell if I have a first edition?
On the copyright page of the book, located in the pages at the beginning of the book before the story starts, there will be a row of numbers at the bottom of the page. The numbers run consecutively from right to left. The number at the furthest right hand side tells you the printing number. The row of numbers in a first printing looks like this:
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Or if it reads, for example, 20 19 18 17 then this is the 17th printing. Both examples could be a first edition of the book. New editions are only made if there are significant changes to the text or format. In new editions, J K Rowling has corrected some parts of the text.
Canadian first editions also have the words First Edition printed underneath or above the row of numbers.
This is the best way to identify a true first edition, first printing of a Harry Potter book.
Using Harry Potter Images
Can I use Harry Potter images on my website/book/school project/teaching materials/etc.?
No. There are strict copyright restrictions on the use of all Harry Potter images. Only authorized companies have the right to use Harry Potter images.
How do I obtain authorization to use Harry Potter images?
Please address all enquiries to Bloomsbury Plc. Full details of the proposed use are required, including context.
Harry Potter Films
The marketing and publicity for the films and the books remain entirely separate. For details about the films in Canada please contact:
Warner Bros. Canada Inc.
Other Harry Potter Websites
JKRowling.com, official site of J K Rowling
Foreign Publisher Sites
Bloomsbury.com (UK, originating publisher)
Gallimard Jeunesse (FR, French edition distributed in Canada)
Scholastic.com (US)
Harry Potter Movie
Warnerbros.com, official Harry Potter site
A Selection of Fan Sites (listed alphabetically)
DarkMark.com
FictionAlley.org
Godrics-hollow.net
HPANA.com
HP-Lexicon.org
MuggleNet.com
The-Leaky-Cauldron.org
